National parks in New Mexico
New Mexico has 2 national parks: Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands.
National parks in New Mexico
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
A large limestone cave system in New Mexico. The big room is the main draw; bats fly out on warm evenings.
- White Sands National Park
White gypsum dunes in southern New Mexico. Bright, open, and easy to walk a short way into the dunes.
Other parks within reach of New Mexico
| Park | Straight-line distance | Estimated drive | Realistic trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Sands National Park | 129 mi (208 km) | 3 hr 30 min | Best as a weekend |
| Petrified Forest National Park | 196 mi (316 km) | 5 hr 6 min | Best as a weekend |
| Carlsbad Caverns National Park | 204 mi (328 km) | 5 hr 17 min | Best as a weekend |
| Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 207 mi (333 km) | 5 hr 21 min | Best as a weekend |
| Mesa Verde National Park | 212 mi (341 km) | 5 hr 28 min | Best as a weekend |
| Great Sand Dunes National Park | 222 mi (357 km) | 5 hr 42 min | Best as a weekend |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | 281 mi (453 km) | 7 hr 6 min | Worth a longer road trip |
| Canyonlands National Park | 316 mi (508 km) | 7 hr 55 min | Worth a longer road trip |
| Saguaro National Park | 325 mi (523 km) | 8 hr 8 min | Worth a longer road trip |
| Arches National Park | 331 mi (532 km) | 8 hr 16 min | Worth a longer road trip |
Biggest towns and cities in New Mexico
- Albuquerque
- Las Cruces
- Enchanted Hills
- Santa Fe
- Roswell
- Farmington
- Clovis
- Hobbs
- Alamogordo
- Carlsbad
- Gallup
- Sunland Park
- Los Lunas
- Chaparral
- Deming
- Las Vegas
- Artesia
- Los Alamos
- Portales
- Lovington
- Española
- Silver City
- Anthony
- Grants
- Socorro
- Shiprock
- Ruidoso
- Belen
- Zuni Pueblo
- Raton
- Truth or Consequences
- Taos
- White Rock
- Los Chavez
- Tucumcari
- Edgewood
- Milan
- Eunice
- Clayton
- Dulce
- Santa Teresa
- Santa Rosa
- Ruidoso Downs
- Lordsburg
- Ranchos de Taos
- Santo Domingo Pueblo
- Crownpoint
- Jal
- Navajo
- Thoreau
- Moriarty
- Jemez Pueblo
- Questa
- Radium Springs
- White Sands
- Navajo
- Columbus
- Hatch
- Estancia
- McIntosh
- Capitan
- Dexter
- Hagerman
- Laguna
- Skyline-Ganipa
- Angel Fire
- Alamo
- Chama
- Carrizozo
- Fort Sumner
- Mora
- Tierra Amarilla
- Reserve
- Mosquero
All counties in New Mexico
- Doña Ana County
- Valencia County
- San Juan County
- Bernalillo County
- Rio Arriba County
- Santa Fe County
- McKinley County
- Sandoval County
- Otero County
- Eddy County
- Grant County
- Taos County
- Cibola County
- Lea County
- Lincoln County
- Chaves County
- Curry County
- Luna County
- Torrance County
- Colfax County
- Los Alamos County
- San Miguel County
- Sierra County
- Socorro County
- Catron County
- De Baca County
- Guadalupe County
- Harding County
- Hidalgo County
- Mora County
- Quay County
- Roosevelt County
- Union County
Common questions
How many national parks are in New Mexico?
2: Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park.
What is the closest national park to New Mexico?
White Sands National Park, roughly 129 mi (208 km) out and about 3 hr 30 min of driving from the centre of New Mexico.